One Moment Changes Everything: The All-America Tragedy of Don Rogers

One Moment Changes Everything
The All-America Tragedy of Don Rogers
Sean D. Harvey

DESCRIPTION

Don Rogers was a three-sport phenomenon who energized a forgotten corner of the world (North Sacramento). He could run, jump and tackle better than anyone in California. A role model to children, he became both an honor student and a consensus All- American football player for UCLA, where he dominated two Rose Bowls and was a favorite of fans and sportswriters alike. Rogers went on to become a first-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns and was voted rookie of the year in 1984.

Then it fell apart. Just one week after the overdose death of basketball star Len Bias, and only one day before his marriage to his college sweetheart, while in the upstairs bedroom of his mother’s home Rogers made the incomprehensible decision to use cocaine, and died just hours later. This All-American story is about a good man whose life transcended sports, and whose death continues to spur important debate about burden, love, addiction, responsibility, and what constitutes happiness in the material world.
(Purchase)

Bill Walsh: Remembering The Genius

Bill Walsh
Remembering The Genius
Sports Publishing LLC

Description

Pete Carroll called him an "extraordinary mentor". Bill Parcells recalled "One of the guys who made the NFL what it is". Joe Montana simply said, "Outside of my dad, he was probably the most influential person in my life". Bill Walsh simply considered himself a teacher. When the legendary former San Francisco 49ers coach passed away on July 30, 2007, at age 75, he was fondly remembered across the nation as one of the great innovators of the game of football.

A Pro Football Hall of Famer and a two-time NFL Coach of the Year, Walsh led the 49ers to 102 wins and three Super Bowl titles in 10 seasons as head coach in the 1980's. His signature West Coast offense and contributions to minority coaching forever changed the NFL. His coaching tree of former assistants is a "Who's Who?" of NFL head coaches, including Mike Holmgren, Mike White, Sam Wyche, Bruce Coslet, George Seifert, and Dennis Green. Walsh also made significant contributions to Stanford University during two stints as head coach in the late 70's and early 90's. Former 49ers star Ronnie Lott remarked that his first head coach will be "forever cemented with the likes of George Halas, Paul Brown, and Vince Lombardi as the best ever". In Bill Walsh: Remembering "The Genius", Bay Area fans can celebrate Walsh's amazing life through pictures and words, including numerous looks back at his tremendous career.
(Purchase)

USA TODAY: 25 Years of The Nation's Newspaper

USA TODAY: 25 Years of The Nation's Newspaper
25 years in USA Today
USA TODAY

DESCRIPTION
Launched in 1982, USA TODAY celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2007 with the release of this engaging look at the stories that have shaped Americans’ lives over the past 25 years. Utilizing the concise, award-winning journalism, rich graphics, and unique photography that have helped turn America’s first national newspaper into its largest, 25 Years of USA TODAY is a full-color coffee table book with immense flip appeal. All of the memorable events that grabbed national headlines—from the L.A. riots and 9/11 to the 1998 home-run chase and America’s quests for Olympic gold on its home soil—are chronicled in vivid detail. Trends that have redefined our day-to-day lives are also discussed: the rise of the working woman; the increase in Hispanic population; Americans’ continual battle with obesity and obsession with fad diets; the impact of the Internet; and the massive growth of the video gaming industry. The book also looks abroad for historic events that have had a resounding impact on Americans, like the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the passing of Pope John Paul II. Finally, USA TODAY offers a list of the most influential Americans of the past 25 years, from Michael Jordan and Oprah Winfrey to Lance Armstrong and Sam Walton. It’s a unique snapshot of America, presented as only The Nation’s No. 1 Newspaper could.
(Purchase)

The Making of McPaper

The Making of McPaper
USA TODAY

DESCRIPTION
In 1982 the Gannett Company, the nation’s biggest newspaper chain, launched USA TODAY. USA TODAY celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2007. The brainchild of Al Neuharth, it was the most expensive, most closely watched newspaper debut in history. Journalists called it “McPaper,” the “titan of tidbits,” and “junk-food journalism.” No newspaper executive had ever put so many millions and so many careers on the line. This updated edition of Peter S. Prichard’s acclaimed 1987 release includes an afterward by longtime USA TODAY writer and editor David Colton. This updated section completes the story of the first century of “The Nation’s Newspaper.” Colton catches up with the founders and examines the journalistic achievements that have gained “McPaper” respect. Readers of USA TODAY – millions of them – will find this a fascinating, behind-the-scenes story of the battle to build a newspaper that has grown to redefine modern journalism. Readers of business histories will find it a classic case study of a bigrisk, big-reward business start-up.
(Purchase)

Hawkeyes for Life

Hawkeyes for Life
Steve Roe

DESCRIPTION

Hawkeyes for Life shares the passion of devoted University of Iowa sports fans. From watching Nile Kinnick lead the renowned Ironmen in 1939 to following the Hawkeyes to Florida bowl games in recent years, the book takes readers inside Hawkeye Nation, getting to know fans and how they have shown their strong support for the Black and Gold. It also visits with former members of the Hawkeye marching band, cheerleaders, and those who have dressed the part of Herky.
(Purchase)

The Boys From Old Florida

The Boys From Old Florida (Updated)
Inside Gator Nation
Buddy Martin

DESCRIPTION

The University of Florida celebrated the centennial season of its storied football program in 2006, capping it off by winning the BCS Championship. In this new softcover edition of his acclaimed book, award-winning author Buddy Martin provides a unique and interesting look at the school’s long journey to gridiron glory. The Boys From Old Florida is full of interesting insights and revelations about the legendary Gator program, and is updated to include the amazing 2006 season. Numerous interviews with storied coaches and players of the past, like Steve Spurrier, Ray Graves, Doug Dickey, Danny Wuerffel, Jack Youngblood, Scot Brantley, Kerwin Bell, Carlos Alvarez, and John Reaves; help readers learn the stories behind the stories. Martin sheds light on many subjects that illuminate the past, while also telling much about the present, including current coach Urban Meyer.
(Purchase)

SP Bestsellers - Week of 8-12-07

SP BESTSELLERS* week of 8/12/2007
1.		Pat Jones' Tales from the Oklahoma State Sidelines Pat Jones with Jimmie Tramel
2.		Kent Hrbek's Tales from the Minnesota Twins Dugout Kent Hrbek with Dennis Brackin
3.		Tales from the Mets Dugout Bruce Markusen
4.		Tales from Michigan Stadium: Volume II Jim Brandstatter
5.		Joe DeLamielleure’s Tales from the Buffalo Bills Joe DeLamielleure with Michael Benson
6.		Denny Matthews's Tales from the Royals Dugout Denny Matthews with Matt Fulks
7.		Tales from the Detroit Tigers Dugout Jack Ebling
8.		Hardcore History: The Extremely Unauthorized Story of the ECW Scott E. Williams
9.		Rico Petrocelli's Tales from the Impossible Dream Red Sox Rico Petrocelli and Charles Scoggins
10.		Playing for JoePa: 20 Penn State Stories of Families, Football, and the Paterno Way Jordan Hyman and Ken Rappoport
* From Nielsen BookScan.

Game of My Life: Denver Broncos

Game of My Life: Denver Broncos
Jim Saccomano

DESCRIPTION
20 Broncos football legends reveal details about the greatest game of their Bronco careers. Included are Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway, Frank Tripucka (the Broncos’ first-ever signal caller), and Charley Johnson, one of pro football’s most accomplished citizens ever; along with Craig Morton and Haven Moses, the famed “M and M” connection of Denver’s first Super Bowl team. Super Bowl MVP Terrell Davis has a prominent role in this tome, while running back Floyd Little, known to Broncos fans as “The Franchise,” also describes his greatest game, as does tight end Shannon Sharpe, linebackers Randy Gradishar and Karl Mecklenburg, and Red Miller, who coached the 1977 Broncos to that first Super Bowl. (Purchase)

Game of My life: Green Bay

Game of My Life: Green Bay
Memorable Stories of Packers Football (softcover)
Chuck Carlson

DESCRIPTION
When Bart Starr snuck across the goal line in the withering cold of Lambeau Field to beat the Dallas Cowboys in 1967, “The Ice Bowl” became the greatest game in Green Bay Packers history. Unless, of course, it was the NFC championship win over the Carolina Panthers in 1997 that sent the Packers back to the Super Bowl for the first time in 30 years. Maybe it was that mind-bending 48-47 Monday night win over the Washington Redskins in 1983, or perhaps it was the Western Conference title win over the Baltimore Colts in 1965 on an overtime field goal that Colts players to this day say was no good. It could also have been any one of Green Bay’s three Super Bowl wins or the victory over the San Francisco 49ers in 1995 that cemented the Packers as a force in the NFL once again. Maybe it was any one of a number of games against their ancient rivals, the Chicago Bears, or maybe it was as recently as the 2003 NFC playoff win over the Seattle Seahawks or Brett Favre’s remarkable performance after his father died. Maybe it wasn’t even a Packers victory that earned its way into history. Perhaps that’s the beauty of a franchise with such a long and lyrical history as the Packers—so many big games and so many opportunities to pick the ones that really matter.

So many years have produced so many games and so many memories. In Chuck Carlson’s Game of My Life, former and current players and coaches talk about the best, the most important, the most entertaining, or just the strangest games this franchise has ever played. Some will be obvious choices, but others may tax the memory of even the most stalwart Packers fans. For a franchise steeped in history, tradition, and legend, this book is bound to touch on a game that sits fondly in the hearts of Packers fans everywhere. (Purchase)

Bill Rosinski's Tales from the Carolina Panthers

Bill Rosinski's Tales from the Carolina Panthers
Bill Rosinski with Pat Yasinskas

DESCRIPTION
Bill Rosinski was the Carolina Panthers’ first radio play-by-play broadcaster when the franchise began NFL play in 1995, and held that post for a decade. In his first book, the highly popular and humorous Charlotte media celebrity relays many behind-the-scenes stories and anecdotes about the Panthers briefbut- successful tenure in the NFL, which has included three appearances in the NFC title game and one Super Bowl appearance. (Purchase)

Tom Flores' Tales from the Oakland Raiders

Tom Flores' Tales from the Oakland Raiders
softcover
Tom Flores with Matt Fulks

Description
Not only did Tom Flores coach the Oakland Raiders to two Super Bowl championships, he was also the first starting quarterback in the team’s history. During his three and a half decades in the game he has come into contact with innumerable characters and colorful personalities from around the world of professional football. In Tom Flores’s Tales from the Oakland Raiders he provides behind-the-scenes humor from greats such as former coach and owner Al Davis and coach Eddie Erdelatz, as well as players such as Marcus Allen, George Blanda, Howie Long, Jack Tatum, Billy Cannon, Jim Otto, John Matuszak, and Bo Jackson. Featuring a foreword written by Super Bowl XV Most Valuable Player Jim Plunkett, Tom Flores’s Tales from the Oakland Raiders also offers details on the franchise’s Super Bowl championships, making it essential reading for followers of the Silver and Black. (Purchase)

Game of My Life: Florida

Game of My Life: Florida
Memorable Stories of Gators Football
Pat Dooley

DESCRIPTION

Some of the games described by these University of Florida football legends involve championships, while others have extraordinary personal meaning. Heisman Trophy winners Steve Spurrier and Danny Wuerffel, along with many other of the great names in Gator history, like John Reaves, Larry Smith, Carlos Alvarez, Wilber Marshall, Kerwin Bell, Jack Youngblood, Shane Matthews, and Chris Doering, are featured in this in-depth look into the men and games that helped shape and build the Florida Gator football tradition and heritage. (Purchase)

Vince Dooley's Tales from 1980 Georgia Football

Vince Dooley's Tales from 1980 Georgia Football
Vince Dooley and Blake Giles

DESCRIPTION

Legendary football coach Vince Dooley of the University of Georgia tells his favorite stories from the 1980 season, when the Bulldogs football team won the national championship. Featuring the incomparable Herschel Walker, Georgia went undefeated in 1980, beating Notre Dame, 17-10, in the Sugar Bowl. (Purchase)

Game of My Life: Minnesota

Game of My Life: Minnesota
Joel A. Rippel

DESCRIPTION
With more than 600 victories, six national championships, and 16 former players in the College Football Hall of Fame, the University of Minnesota boasts one of the top programs in the history of college football. They gained national prominence when they won five national titles in an eight-year span (1934- 1941). The Gophers won another national title and went to two Rose Bowls in the early 1960’s. Game of My Life: Minnesota Gophers connects some of the most memorable Gophers and some of the most memorable games from those “Golden” times, with contributions from George “Sonny” Franck, Bill Daley, Murray Warmath, Tom Brown, future NFL Hall of Famer Carl Eller, and former Gopher quarterback and future NFL head coach Tony Dungy.

(Purchase)

SP Bestsellers - week of 8-5-2007

SP BESTSELLERS* week of 8/5/2007
1.		Kent Hrbek's Tales from the Minnesota Twins Dugout Kent Hrbek with Dennis Brackin
2.		Tales from the Mets Dugout Bruce Markusen
3.		Game of My Life: Atlanta Braves Jack Wilkinson
4.		Pat Jones' Tales from the Oklahoma State Sidelines Pat Jones with Jimmie Tramel
5.		Tales from the Detroit Tigers Dugout Jack Ebling
6.		Entangled in Ivy George Castle
7.		Tales from the Seattle Mariners Dugout Kirby Arnold
8.		Rico Petrocelli's Tales from the Impossible Dream Red Sox Rico Petrocelli and Charles Scoggins
9.		Tales from the Red Sox Dugout Jim Prime and Bill Nowlin
10.		Tales from the Orioles Dugout Louis Berney
* From Nielsen BookScan.

Game of My Life: South Carolina Gamecocks

Game of My Life: South Carolina Gamecocks
Rick Scoppe and Charlie Bennet

DESCRIPTION
Several prominent South Carolina players of the past share their fondest singlegame experience and memories, largely in their own words. Each player has his own unique story, but together they weave a tapestry of South Carolina Gamecock football history. Included are Heisman Trophy winner George Rodgers, as well as other legendary Gamecocks like Alex Hawkins, ponytailed quarterback Steve Tannyhill, record-setting quarterback Todd Ellis, Dan Reeves – a Gamecock quarterback who went on to a distinguished NFL career as a running back with the Dallas Cowboys and then as a Super Bowl head coach; running back Brandon Bennett, tight end Willie Scott, and running back Rob DeBoer.
(Read More / Purchase)

Tales from Penn State Football

Tales from Penn State Football
softcover
Ken Rappoport

Description
In Tales from Penn State Football author Ken Rappoport puts readers on the 50-yard line and sometimes in a seat on the bench or a stall in the locker room with one of college football’s most successful programs ever. From the first team in the 1880s to Joe Paterno’s celebrated teams of the 20th century, Penn State’s most entertaining and legendary football stories are chronicled. The early pioneers could hardly envision the future popularity of the game, where crowds of more than 100,000 fill Beaver Stadium to see Paterno’s nationally-ranked powers play in the second-largest stadium in America. There have been plenty of colorful stories and characters in State College to fill a book like Tales from Penn State Football. There was a coach who held up a Rose Bowl game over a violent argument and another who credited a mule for his success. There was a player who impersonated the legendary Jim Thorpe and another nicknamed “Riverboat Richie” due to his gambling instincts on the football field (they usually paid off). For many of the book’s stories Rappoport went right to the source. In an earlier interview at the Nittany Lion Inn Paterno talked about his famous “Grand Experiment.” At about the same time, Rip Engle discussed his most treasured moments at Penn State, helping fill Tales from Penn State Football with a collection of the greatest Nittany Lion stories ever told.
(Read More / Purchase)

Tales from the Oregon Ducks Sideline

Tales from the Oregon Ducks Sideline
Brian Libby

DESCRIPTION
Readers are taken on a fun-filled trip through Oregon’s gridiron history, with compelling and anecdotal stories from the program’s start in 1894 to the current era. Dan Fouts, Joey Harrington, Kenny Wheaton, Bill Musgrave, Rich Brooks, and many others are among the former players and coaches who provide tales and perspective about the Ducks. Off-the-field stories, such as the team’s much talked about uniform designs by Nike, are also part of this first-of-a-kind book about Oregon Ducks’ football.
(Read More / Purchase)

Football's Second Season

Football's Second Season
Scouting Prep Football's Game Breakers
Tom Lemming with Taylor Bell

DESCRIPTION
Tom Lemming wasn’t college football’s first “recruiting analyst”, but he definitely perfected the role. He began in 1978 – one of the first prospects he interviewed was a promising quarterback from Pittsburgh named Dan Marino – and filed his first report in 1979. In his first year, he had only one subscriber to his newsletter. Since then, Lemming has become the most celebrated, controversial, and influential player in the business. Competitors describe him as the “Godfather of recruiting.” He annually travels 55,000 miles, visits as many as 47 states, and personally interviews the top 1,500 players in the country to produce the Prep Football Report, a 300-page must-read for every college coach. This book chronicles Lemming’s journey and his passion for his profession, warts and all.
(Read More / Purchase)

Game of My Life: Auburn Tigers

Game of My Life: Auburn Tigers
Mark Murphy

DESCRIPTION
Several prominent Auburn football players of the past share their fondest single-game experience and memories. Some of these games involve championships, while others seem ordinary save for extraordinary personal meaning. In each case, it is the player who singles out the game, that moment in time that to him is the most defining of his Auburn Tiger football career. Included are Heisman Trophy-winner Pat Sullivan, All-Americans Jackie Burkett, Jimmy “Red” Phillips, Buddy McClinton, Ken Rice, Steve Wallace, Gregg Carr, Ed Dyas, and “Cadillac” Williams; and fan favorites such as Lionel “Little Train” James and Joe Cribbs.
(Read More / Purchase)

Jim Walden's Tales from the Washington State Cougars

Jim Walden's Tales from the Washington State Cougars
softcover
Jim Walden with Dave Boling

DESCRIPTION
Walden’s 1981 Cougars broke a 51-year bowl drought, and with victories in three of his last five Apple Cup games against Washington, Walden finally leveled the field with WSU’s cross-state rivals. In Jim Walden’s Tales from the Washington State Cougars Sideline, the coach, a Mississippi-born storyteller, looks at coaches from the colorful “Lone Star” Dietz to Bill Doba and gives readers a glimpse at the personalities of Cougar All-Americans as well as the other quirky individuals who made their way onto the WSU sidelines. Walden reveals the effective strategies and the flubs and tells what really happened on the field and in the locker rooms. He also shares the ways he was able to coax prospects into coming to remote Pullman and what he was really screaming at officials all those times. Walden tells his stories the way he coached—all out, nothing held back, with wit and humor.
(Read More / Purchase)

SP Bestsellers - Week of 7-29-07

SP BESTSELLERS* week of 7/29/2007
1.		Kent Hrbek's Tales from the Minnesota Twins Dugout Kent Hrbek with Dennis Brackin
2.		Pat Jones' Tales from the Oklahoma State Sidelines Pat Jones with Jimmie Tramel
3.		Tales from the Mets Dugout Bruce Markusen
4.		Game of My Life: Atlanta Braves Jack Wilkinson
5.		Tales from the Seattle Mariners Dugout Kirby Arnold
6.		Game of My Life: Dodgers Mark Langill
7.		Game of My Life: Chicago Cubs Lew Freedman
8.		Tales from the Detroit Tigers Dugout Jack Ebling
9.		Rico Petrocelli's Tales from the Impossible Dream Red Sox Rico Petrocelli and Charles Scoggins
10.		Baseball's Iron Man Jeff Seidel
* From Nielsen BookScan.

Jack Wilkinson interview MP3

Game of My Life: Atlanta Braves
Jack Wilkinson
ISBN: 1596700998
Retail Price: $24.95

Listen to the INTERVIEW MP3 at:
http://www.sportspublishingllc.com/spmediacenter.cfm

DESCRIPTION
Theirs was a prolonged run of excellence like none other in sports history. From 1991 through 2005, the Atlanta Braves won 14 consecutive division championships, a streak no team in professional sports has ever come close to approaching. Not the New York Yankees or the old Boston Celtics. Not Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers or Montreal’s flying French Canadiens. Beginning with the unexpected worst-to-first miracle of 1991, the Braves commenced an era of sustained dominance that Major League Baseball never saw coming.

About The Author
Jack Wilkinson has written about sports for more than 30 years, in Miami, Chicago, his native New York, and Atlanta. Named the Georgia Sportswriter of the Year in 2001 and 2004, he’s covered many World Series and Final Fours, and three Olympics and Super Bowls. He currently writes for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. His previous books include Dodd’s Luck, the autobiography of the late Georgia Tech football coach Bobby Dodd; Focused on the Top, an account of Tech’s 1990 national championship season; and Kim King’s Tales from the Georgia Tech Sideline, with the late Tech quarterback and radio analyst.

Wilkinson and his wife, Janet Ward, live in Atlanta and have two daughters: Katharine and Alison.

Chris Colston interview MP3

Tales from the Virginia Tech Sidelines
(softcover)
Chris Colston
ISBN: 1596702516
Retail Price: $15.95

Listen to the interview at:

http://www.sportspublishingllc.com/spmediacenter.cfm

Description
For more than a decade Chris Colston was editor of the Hokie Huddler, and now he shares Virginia Tech’s greatest football stories ever told. From the days of Miles Stadium to Lane, from the Frank O. Moseley era to Beamerball, the stories found in Tales from the Virginia Tech Sidelines are certain to keep fans laughing throughout the season.

This treasury of anecdotes covers Hokie football from the days when players tackled cows for fun all the way to the present, where every dorm room is wired for the internet. No Hokie fan’s collection is complete without Tales from the Virginia Tech Sidelines.

About the Author
Chris Colston writes for USA Today Sports Weekly and has been with the paper since 1996. He is also the author of The Hokies Handbook and the autobiography of Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer. A native of Roanoke, Virginia, Colston spent 11 years in the Virginia Tech athletics department, where he won two national writing awards. His story on rotisserie baseball was listed in Notable Sports Writing of 1999. He now lives in Herndon, Virginia, with his wife Melanie and their two children.

2007 * 200 pp * b/w photos throughout
5.5x8.25 inches softcover

SP Bestsellers - Week of 7-22-07

SP BESTSELLERS* week of 7/22/2007
1.		Kent Hrbek's Tales from the Minnesota Twins Dugout Kent Hrbek with Dennis Brackin
2.		Tales from the Mets Dugout Bruce Markusen
3.		Tales from the Detroit Tigers Dugout Jack Ebling
4.		Game of My Life: Atlanta Braves Jack Wilkinson
5.		Rico Petrocelli's Tales from the Impossible Dream Red Sox Rico Petrocelli and Charles Scoggins
6.		Entangled in Ivy George Castle
7.		Game of My Life: San Francisco Giants Matt Johanson
8.		Game of My Life: Chicago Cubs Lew Freedman
9.		Game of My Life: Dodgers Mark Langill
10.		Thank You, Boys; A Salute to the Saints The Times-Picayune
* From Nielsen BookScan.